Teana's Travels Book 29: Red Threads of Fate
by D.K.N
Summary: Teana, Naruto, Subaru, and Sasuke head to yet another Earth in peril. There, they aid a group of local heroes - led by the rough girl Ryuuko Matoi - in a fight against the parasitic Life Fibers led by the vile Ragyo Kiryuuin. Can they stop Ragyo's plot to change all of humanity into food for the Life Fibers? Rated M for violence, implications, and Ryuuko's foul mouth.
1. Finding Your Strength

A warning: Back when I came up with the idea of making this Book, there was a YouTube channel with loads of key scenes of the anime available to watch. In the time since then, however, that channel's been removed for copyright crap, and the only place there is left for me to safely watch _Kill la Kill_ is on Crunchyroll… which isn't happening, because whenever I watch anything on Crunchyroll on my computer, there is **_HORRIBLE_** lag and choppiness, enough to render it totally unwatchable. So, any and all scenes and characterization and such in this fic are drawn purely from my memory. And you all know by now how bad my memory is…

Another source of extra time spent making this chapter, as well as a contributing factor to my general very foul mood recently: _Master Chief Collection_. Halo 2. Legendary. **_Jackal Snipers_**. That is all. …Good God, there's like 20 of them when you come out of the tunnel in _Metropolis_! D8

**THE FOLLOWING THINGS ARE THE PROPERTIES OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS; I DO NOT OWN THEM AND MAKE NO MONEY OFF OF THIS STORY**

_Mahō Shōjo Lyrical Nanoha _(Teana, various other characters) – 7Arcs

_Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni _(Shion and friends/family) – 07th Expansion and Studio Deen

_Shuffle!_ (Kaede Fuyō and associated characters) – Navel and Asread

_Erika's New Perfume _(Marie, Sarah, Erika, Timmy, Veronica) – DeviantArtist 'Lance the Young'

_Mai-chan's Daily Life _(Mai, Kizuna) – Waita Uziga

_Star Wars _(Ahsoka, Cody, Rex, _Force Unleashed_ cast) – George Lucas, Lucasfilm

_Halo_ (Forerunners, UNSC, Sangheili Alliance) – Bungie, 343 Industries

_StarCraft_ (multiple characters, events, and devices) – Blizzard Entertainment

_Naruto_ (characters, techniques, abilities) – Masashi Kishimoto

_Mahō Sensei Negima _(characters, spells, abilities) – Ken Akamatsu

_Kingdom Hearts _(characters, weapons, enemies, concepts) – Square-Enix

_Neon Genesis Evangelion _(characters, concepts, tech) – Studio Gainax

_Elfen Lied _(Kaede K., others) – Lynn Okamoto, Arms

_Red vs. Blue _(The Blood-Gulch Crew, the ex-Freelancers) – Rooster Teeth

_My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic_ – Hasbro, Lauren Faust

_Transformers Film Series _– Hasbro, Michael Bay

_Transformers: Beast Wars _– Hasbro, Mainframe Entertainment

_Yu-Gi-Oh! _– Kazuki Takahashi, Viz Media

_Sonic the Hedgehog _– SEGA

_Gears of War _– Epic Games

_Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles _– Columbia Tristar (I think)

_Mass Effect _– Bioware

_Metroid _– Nintendo

_Puella Magi Madoka Magica _– Gen Urobuchi, SHAFT

_The Legend of Zelda _– Nintendo

_Tōhō _– ZUN

_RWBY _– Rooster Teeth

**_Kill la Kill _****– ****Studio Trigger**

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES

**-****_BOOK 29 START_****-**

**Realm KL-4**

**S.S. ****_Naked Sun_****, en route to Honnōji Academy**

Ryūko Matoi let out a slow, deep sigh as she sat on the deck of the flagship aircraft carrier of 'Nudist Beach', the ridiculously-named yet surprisingly competent organization leading the resistance against the Kiryūin Conglomerate and the parasitic beings known as Life Fibers. For the abrasive yet heroic young girl, a great deal had happened recently. Things had kicked into high gear that day at the stadium, and hadn't slowed down since. The forces of the Conglomerate controlled nearly all of Japan, with slowly-spreading areas of dominance scattered all over the rest of the planet. And at the head of it was Ragyō Kiryūin, a truly vile woman who had sold her soul to the Primordial Life Fiber, and made herself into a Life-Fiber-infused inhuman monster.

'A monster like me…' Ryūko thought, holding her hand over her heart – the heart that Ragyō had ripped out and shown to her, revealing that it, like the rest of her body, was infused with Life Fibers that gave her superhuman strength and durability as well as a very potent healing factor… and revealing that she was the monster-woman's second daughter, used as a newborn in an experiment – an experiment that she was only conceived and birthed for the purpose of being used in – that infused the things into her and then coldly tossed out when she was presumed to have died.

Upon awakening from the month-long healing coma she'd been knocked into, Ryūko – overcome with self-loathing and -disgust, as well as rage at the heads of Nudist Beach, who apparently knew but didn't tell her – had violently lashed out at her friends and then gone off to fight Ragyō and her enforcer – the Life-Fiber-infused, disgustingly cutesy & cheerful yet actually frighteningly unhinged and bloodthirsty Nui Harime, the girl who'd murdered Ryūko's father Isshin – alone… and in doing so had walked right into Ragyō's trap. The loathsome twosome had forcefully grafted Junketsu – a vicious and near-rabid _Kamui _(神衣 – 'god-robe', a clothing-shaped entity composed near-entirely of Life Fibers) – onto her body as they violated her mind, forcing false memories into her and rewriting her personality, while at the same time they had also violated her body to further speed along and enhance the process; the girl felt a spike of disgust and feeling of violation, even from just the few scattered fragments of memory of her evil mother and 'sister' having their way with her body after they'd had their way with her mind.

Just as Ragyō had done to her _other _daughter, Ryūko remembered her cheerfully admitting during 'that time'. That was another hell of a shock for the girl: not only was her hated rival Satsuki Kiryūin actually a good guy all along (though one with _extremely_ questionable methods that Ryūko probably would've fought against even if she'd known back then), she was also Ryūko's older sister. At the moment, that still left an uncomfortable feeling in her; there was a lot of bad blood between them still… Well, mostly on Ryūko's side; the younger girl was fully aware on an intellectual level that she had a problem with holding onto grudges long past the point of them being detrimental to her, regardless of whether they were justified or not.

And yet, even with all that, when Ryūko – forced into Junketsu and brainwashed into a raving whirlwind of violence and destruction sent to massacre the resistance – had attacked the _Naked Sun_, Satsuki had risked her life to save her, donning Senketsu – Ryūko's trusted _Kamui_ partner, considerably more amicable and friendly and sane than his evil blue-&-white counterpart – to fight her. And though she'd lost in the end, she'd given Senketsu and Mako Mankanshoku – the ditzy, excitable, somewhat dim, yet unfailingly loyal and loving best friend of Ryūko – the opening they needed to free her of the brainwashing, giving her the strength to literally rip Junketsu off of herself despite it being 'sewn' into the Life Fibers that made up part of her body.

The fight that ensued had been short but oh so satisfying, as Ryūko reclaimed the other half of the Scissor Blades from Nui and then sliced off both of the evil little monster's arms in a way that prevented her from reattaching or regenerating them, sending her into a complete psychotic breakdown that 'cracked the shell off the nut' as Tsumugu had put it. Nui had then been extracted by Ragyō's loyal secretary, Rei Hououmaru, leaving behind a squad of COVERs – Life-Fiber-based humanoid monsters containing captive humans as power sources – to cover their retreat (and have their captives freed by Nudist Beach's specialized weaponry, destroying the things).

It had been about two hours since then, and everyone was busy tending to injuries, trying to repair some of the damage dealt to the ship, preparing for the coming battles, or just relaxing. Ryūko was avoiding a few of the people onboard; she was still quite angry with Satsuki and with Aikurō Mikisugi – the head of Nudist Beach mentioned earlier – and she didn't trust Satsuki's 'Elite Four' – Ira Gamagoori, Uzu Sanageyama, Hōka Inumuta, and Nonon Jakuzure. She'd also been kinda steering clear of Mako, but this was out of guilt; when Mako had dove into Ryūko's Heart to try to save her from the brainwashing, Ryūko had actually tried to kill her – swung her crimson Scissor Blade in an attempt to split the other girl in half. If Senketsu hadn't taken the blow…

"Ryūko-chan~!"

She was startled out of her increasingly depressive musings by a familiar voice overflowing with energy and cheer. Mako came bounding up, the slightly-shorter girl's shoulder-length brown hair bobbing and swaying in the ocean breeze as she walked with her usual spring in her step. She plopped herself down next to Ryūko, and the presence of a wall on the black-haired girl's other side meant she couldn't scoot away.

"I could see your sad face from clear across the deck, Ryūko-chan" Mako said. "What's up?"

"Mako…" Ryūko murmured, trying and failing to get away from the hand now resting on her shoulder. "You… You shouldn't be near me right now…"

Mako looked confused. "Why not?"

"What do you mean, why not? I… I tried to kill you!"

Mako smiled and hugged Ryūko. "No, you didn't. The fake-memoried, brainwashed Ryūko that Ragyō made tried to kill me, but the real Ryūko-chan I'm talking to right now didn't." She hugged a little tighter. "I'm right here. I'm alright, and I'm here, and I've got you."

"You still want to be with me even though I'm not really human – even though I'm some hybrid _monster_, just like _her_?"

"Ragyō's a monster because of how she acts, what she does and what she plans to do, not necessarily because of the Life Fibers woven into her. And just because you have them inside you doesn't make you a monster; you're too kind and heroic and good to be called that. It's what you do that matters, not what you are. And I know you'd never willingly do anything that would earn you being called a monster."

"She's absolutely right, Ryūko" Senketsu broke his long silence. "I can't even think of much to add, because she just covered just about everything. …Technically, I'm the same type of being as you, a fusion of Life Fibers and human DNA; would you call _me_ a monster at this point?"

Ryūko, unable to think of any rebuttals to all that her two must trusted companions had said, sighed and gave in, relaxing into Mako's hug. Soon, that embrace was able to chase away her worries for the moment, and she found herself believing that maybe they _could_ win this, that everything would turn out okay.

"Still…" she sighed. "So much crazy shit has happened lately. Any one of those things, I would've found totally unbelievable – like, fantasy story stuff – before they happened."

"Well," Mako replied, "after all that's happened I'm pretty sure there isn't room for any more crazy stuff to happen."

Almost as if in response to Mako's statement, a glowing orange & white rune-circle about seven feet across suddenly appeared with an odd chime-like sound on the flight deck a short distance in front of the duo, slowly revolving, shining brightly even in the mid-afternoon sun. Ryūko slowly turned to face Mako, giving her a look, and the other girl chuckled nervously.

Within seconds Satsuki, Aikurō, and the 'Elite Four' arrived on the scene, ready for a fight. Sparkling bits of energy floated upward from the rune, and then four simultaneous flashes of light accompanied four people being translocated in – a black-haired boy, a short-blue-haired girl, a spiky-blond-haired boy, and a long-red/orange-haired girl, all looking around 16 or 17. After regaining their bearings post-teleport, they took stock of their surroundings.

"Well," Teana said, "I suppose this is better than the one op where I was 'ported in alone, surrounded by three times as many people as this and they were all pointing assault rifles at me."

"Who are you?" Ryūko asked in a low and vaguely threatening tone, Scissor Blades at the ready, "and how & why are you here?"

"We're part of the Dimensional Defense Force," Sasuke replied, "a coalition of several sovereign powers and of many people of special ability, banded together to share tech & knowledge and fight against common foes that threaten our Realms, as well as occasionally intervening to help solve crises in new Realms we discover. Like this one."

"The DDF has already helped deal with a lot of super-dangerous evil things," Naruto picked up, "to the point of building up quite a list: Covenant, Flood, Zerg, a Precursor, Demons, Heartless, mad scientists, an evil goddess, pirates, Collectors, Witches, Decepticons, fallen Xel'Naga, Reapers, a C'tan, Prometheans, an evil Forerunner… Form what information we've managed to get on whatever's going down on this world, we're hoping to add the things called 'Life Fibers' to that list."

"Admittedly we don't have much to go on," Subaru chimed in, "though… if they _are_ some kind of space-traveling parasite like what we've heard, they can't be worse than the Flood…"

"_Nothing's_ worse than the Flood" Teana replied with a light shudder.

"There is indeed a rather large amount of the story you're missing," Satsuki spoke up in response, "though if you are capable and willing to help us, then perhaps we can fill you in on things. We need all the allies we can get…"

-_Break_-

Over the course of a little more than an hour, the DDF quartet gave the 'local group' a basic explanation and description of their identities, organization, and cause, while the locals gave them detailed explanations on events, individuals, places, and things.

"Okay," Naruto said, "we've got a lot to do and not much time to do it in. We don't know when this 'Ragyō' character is going to start her endgame, but we should assume it could be any moment. We might not have much time, so let's get what training and preparations in that we can."

"Actually," Teana chimed in, "we have quite a bit of time, thanks to something I brought along."

"What do you mean by that?" Sasuke asked as he, Naruto, and Subaru looked at the redhead.

"Remember how in my uncle's Realm, they can store all sorts of things inside those weird capsules? Well~…"

She pulled a small blue & white capsule with a push-button on top out of her Barrier Jacket's pocket, pressed the button and tossed it a few feet. Landing in a shady spot on the ship's deck, it 'burst' into a sizable cloud of what looked like smoke. After a few seconds, this faded to reveal a glass globe/bottle about three feet across atop a sturdy wooden stand. Inside was what looked like an exquisitely-detailed miniature structure surrounded by water.

"This," Teana continued, "is a copy of Evangeline McDowell's temporally-displaced pocket dimension training resort. The Supreme Kai from my uncle's Realm swung by and offered to help Eva-san with the magecraft and forging, so this was created significantly more quickly and easily than the original; I hear they're making two more right now."

"So wait," Ryūko said, "this isn't a model; it's some kinda… magic pocket dimension?"

"Yes. And for every 24 hours that pass inside, _one_ hour passes outside. We can use this to train, to come up with plans, to research ideas, or even to relax and recuperate; from what I understand, you two" she pointed to Ryūko and Satsuki "have both been through a lot lately, and I bet you'll have a better chance against your monster-mother with a few days' worth of rest and recovery than just a few hours."

"That's actually a good idea" said Shiro Iori, the slightly feminine-looking blond young man who worked as Satsuki & company's inventor and 'tailor' (and considering that the locals' Barrier Jacket-esque combat outfits were partially composed of Life Fibers and granted them considerable boosts, this was a rather important position). "I could use that time to finish forging the improved _Goku_ Uniforms I've been working on, and we can take more time to oversee the infusion of Ryūko-san's blood and Senketsu's Life Fibers into Junketsu to try and make it less… volatile."

"Plus," Ryūko added, "some of us can take time to discuss certain things…"

"Alright then," Teana spoke up, placing her palm on the 'resort bottle' until a glowing white rune-circle appeared in front of it, "everyone who's coming in, step into the circle."

She demonstrated, stepping into the rune-circle and vanishing in a burst of light. Subaru and Sasuke followed, and then the rest of the group joined.

-**_Break_****-**

**40 Minutes (Inside) After Entry**

Two long-separated siblings stood facing each other as they talked. But the mood was anything but joyous.

"You really think everything is just settled, just like that?" Ryūko asked, a slight growl to her voice as she glared at Satsuki. "Just drop everything, pretend we can have a 'fresh start', never discuss everything that's happened before now?"

"Ryōko, she risked her _life_ to _save_ you!" Senketsu cut in.

"That doesn't excuse the horrible things she said and did all that time before she went public with betraying Ragyō – the hundreds of lives she made miserable, the heartless things she said to everyone, the people who _died_ because of her stupid plan!" She turned her attention back on Satsuki, who looked distinctly uncomfortable. "If I had _any_ choice in the matter, I'd make this a three-way conflict – I'd be fighting Ragyō's forces _and yours_!"

"Everything I did was toward the purpose of stopping Ragyō and saving the world from the Life Fibers!" Satsuki defended herself, though her tone of voice revealed that Ryūko's words had gotten to her. "I needed an army of loyal followers to fight hers. I had to get rid of people who could jeopardize the fight against her – or worse, side _with _her if given incentive to. And I had to act heartless so as not to tip her off I was planning to rebel! If I had to sacrifice hundreds or even thousands to save billions, that was the only way I could see to do it!"

"Bullshit" Ryūko growled. "There's _always_ another way. …But you didn't see it because you didn't _want_ to see it. You manipulated and toyed with the lives of the people under and around you, using them as disposable pawns, destroyed people for your own benefit, because that's what comes natural to you! It's in your blood! In the end, you're _just like her!-!_"

Satsuki reeled as if struck, her breath caught in her throat as her eyes went wide, a look of horror on her face as she realized how right Ryūko was. Her plan, her actions, her behavior… none of it would have looked out of place coming from her vile mother. She was so stunned that she didn't react as Ryūko's fist impacted her face with almost enough force to break her nose, sending her stumbling back.

"I…" she gasped out. "She took my family from me! My father, and my baby sister… I thought she'd killed you, Ryūko! That she took away my chance to have a little sister!"

Ryūko tackled her to the ground. "I didn't ask for it!" she shouted as she started raining blows down on Satsuki, who barely even tried to defend herself. "I didn't ask for any of this fucked-up family! A father who was living a double life under a fake name because he used to be someone else! An ice-hearted sister who used people as tools and worked so hard to make my life miserable! A mother who only even gave birth to me to use as a guinea pig, turned me into a monster, threw me out like garbage as a failed experiment, pulled my heart out of my goddamn chest, sewed a monster into my flesh, dug into my brain and put fake memories and feelings there, and _violated_ me!-!"

Ryūko's blows soon lost their strength as all the built-up trauma and pain from the past month's events finally broke loose, tears filling her eyes. Soon she just couldn't hold it anymore, and she collapsed down on top of Satsuki, her body shaking with sobs as she cried her heart out. Satsuki – her face and upper body now bearing several bloody marks and bruises – wrapped her arms around her little sister for the first time, stroking her hair and whispering out apologies as her own eyes grew moist.

**-****_Break_****-**

The past few days in the 'training resort' had been interesting and fairly productive. After Ryūko's cathartic release of built-up emotions over everything that had happened to her, she and Satsuki had started trying to mend ties, and they were actually making some progress. Iori, meanwhile, had been hard at work; having finished altering Junketsu, he was now working on new Life-Fiber-infused combat uniforms. Meanwhile, the DDF quartet were doing whatever they could to help the locals get ready, teaching them tactics and techniques, and helping the two sisters work on their combinations.

Right now, as he watched Teana and Ryūko sparring with their blades, the latter working in perfect concert with her worn 'partner' Senketsu, Naruto heard the voice of his own partner from inside him.

"QUITE A TEAM, AREN'T THEY?" Kurama asked.

"Yeah," Naruto replied, "almost like me and you."

"HMM… NARUTO. YOU STILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO CONTACT MY EIGHT 'SIBLINGS', RIGHT? I'VE GOT AN IDEA FOR SOMETHING…"

**-****_Break_****-**

By the time they emerged from the 'resort', night had fallen in the outside world. Teana returned the thing to its capsule form, and everyone gathered on the carrier's bridge. As they gathered behind Inumuta's computer, he and Satsuki began their explanation.

"Ragyō's ultimate objective" Satsuki explained "is to transform the entire human race into sustenance for Life Fibers which will then cover the entire planet. She calls this the 'Star-seed Cocoon Sphere' plan. All of the REVOCS corporation's products have Life Fibers incorporated into them, and since REVOCS has such an enormous monopoly on clothing through the whole civilized world… Upon receiving a certain powerful signal, all those Life Fibers will awaken. Humans, who have no resistance to it, will be converted into energy sources, and all clothing will transform into Covers."

"By that you mean those bizarre Life-Fiber-based monsters with people trapped inside?" Subaru asked.

"Yes. Seven billion Covers will rise into the stratosphere and transform into a gigantic 'net' of Life Fibers that will enshroud the planet."

"You're telling me she's trying to make the planet wear clothing?" Tsumugu asked, a bit nonplussed at how absurd it sounded on the surface.

"I had heard she was trying to turn the human race into Life Fibers," Aikurō said, "but I had no idea her plan was this epic in scope. But why?"

"Life Fibers are a parasitic species that drifts through space" Satsuki replied. "If they reach a planet that harbors intelligent life, they cause the native life to develop into a state more suitable as an energy source for themselves. Then, they cover the planet with the beings that have been converted into Life Fibers, and then, using the planet itself as an energy source, cause the world to explode, and the force from that scatters Life-Fiber seeds through space. That is how they continue to reproduce themselves through the universe."

"So," Sasuke said, "we call them parasites, but their reproductive method is more in line with a virus; viruses infect cells and use them as raw material and incubators for more viruses, which then burst out of the cell and scatter through the body in the same way these 'Life Fibers' use planets."

"Good grief…" Sanageyama sighed. "Talk about making things up out of whole cloth…"

"Oy, there you go again…" Jakuzure rolled her eyes. "Why do you keep blurting out stupid puns that we've been restraining ourselves from saying?"

"Okay," Inumuta interrupted, "I've managed to hack into REVOS' comm. satellites. They've beefed up their security, so their cameras are all I can get a hold of. I've got a video feed of the Primordial Life Fiber."

The image on his laptop changed to an overhead view from a geo-sync satellite, showing the massive bulbous construct slowly floating its way across the ocean, glowing a reddish-orange hue.

"_Damn_, that's big…" Teana breathed out. "Bigger than a Tailed Beast, even. …Hey, do you think we have time to call in some help? I'm worried we might need something like a MAC gun to do any serious harm to that thing."

"Unfortunately I don't think we have the time" Naruto replied. "We'll have to take it on as-is."

"What's a MAC?" Jakuzure asked.

"Big huge coilgun" Subaru replied. "Anti-starship weapon, fires magnetically-accelerated projectiles weighing hundreds of tons at c-fractional speeds. UNSC and Phoenix League ships have them as main guns."

The sat-cam image zoomed in further, showing a tall woman with white hair in a long white dress standing atop the 'head' of the Primordial Life Fiber. After a few seconds, she looked straight up as if directly at the satellite and into the camera, and gave a foul smirk. Inumuta quickly zoomed out.

"Ragyō…" Ryūko growled lowly.

"So that's our target, hm?" Sasuke murmured.

"The Primordial Life Fiber is heading toward Honnōji Academy" Inumuta continued. "Just as we expected."

"Why there?" Ryūko asked.

"By attaching the Primordial Life Fiber to the massive transmitter installed at the academy," Satsuki replied, "she can send out the command signal to ensnare and transform all of humanity into Life Fibers."

"So to stop her plan," Sanageyama said, "we just need to smash that tower."

"Oh, there is one more unexpected item" Inumuta spoke up.

"And that would be?" Naruto asked.

"The missiles launched by the Primordial Life Fiber that are heading right toward this ship."

"Oh jeez, _what?-!_" "Damn it, I see 'em!" "Don't save things like that for the last minute!"

"Teana!" Sasuke shouted.

"Right!" the redhead replied.

The two Uchihas leapt down onto the deck, forming their Stage-2 _Susanō_. Both fired/launched a wave of _Yasaka Magatama_ at the incoming missiles, intercepting and destroying most of them, but a few managed to get through and strike the ship, blowing holes in the flight deck.

"Mikisugi-san, I'm putting you in command of the operation" Satsuki said to Aikurō. "I'll accompany Ryūko and the DDF group to stop Ragyō."

"Right!" the man leapt up to the captain's chair, posing dramatically. "We'll see to the destruction of the Honnōji Academy transmitter, while these six will keep Ragyō Kiryūin and the Primordial Life Fiber occupied!"

The group of six headed onto the deck, Satsuki donning the repaired and altered Junketsu while the two mages formed their Barrier Jackets.

"_Ryōko-sama_," Satsuki's butler Soroi contacted the rough heroine via her comm. earpiece, "_please look after your sister._"

"Got it." Ryūko blushed. "Let's do this, _n_… _née-ch_… _n-_"

"Don't try to force it before you're ready, Ryūko" Satsuki interrupted with a smile. "Your blood is flowing through Junketsu. That's more than enough."

In flashes of red and bluish-white light, the two sisters activated their _Kamui_. Ryūko shifted to flight mode, and a second later so did Satsuki, displaying one of the results of incorporating Senketsu's essence into Junketsu's form. The sextet took off, auras of ki/chakra surrounding Naruto and Sasuke as they shot up into the sky, while auras of magical power enshrouded Teana & Subaru as they did the same. Up ahead, another six missiles were inbound, but Sasuke drew and swung his sword, releasing a slicing wave of Lightning chakra that cut through and detonated two of them. Teana's _Fūton: Shinkūha_ set off another, and the two sisters' blades handled the rest.

Down below, as the _Naked Sun_ set course for the academy, the water in front of it suddenly became turbulent, a deep red glow emitting from below. An enormous white mass burst up from beneath the water, stopping the carrier in its path and looming over it – a gigantic 'Cover', fueled by the life-force of dozens of captive humans and optimized for heavy combat. Seeing this, a few of the airborne group prepared to double back and engage. However, that was rendered unnecessary as a new addition joined the battle from within the ship, a huge extending fist of Life-Fiber cloth delivering a smashing uppercut that knocked the Giant Cover back, stunning it.

"Honnōji Academy Fight Club President Mankanshoku Mako, back in action!-! You guys get going! _I'll_ protect the ship!"

As Mako brought out a multitude of 'Super Suction Saver' devices, the airborne group continued on, firing a few parting shots at another small batch of missiles as they passed.

"_Oh by the way, I figured out why Harime Nui couldn't regenerate her arms_" Inumuta contacted them via radio. "_The Scissor Blades and Bakuzan can sever Life Fibers, but the powerful kind begin regenerating immediately after they're cut. However, cutting them from both sides at the same time lets you sever the regenerating Life Fibers in succession. …Thank Ragyō for breaking Bakuzan in half, I suppose._"

"You're the ones who deserve gratitude for turning the halves into two blades" Satsuki replied.

Inumuta chuckled softly. "_Since when did you get into the whole 'positive reinforcement' thing?_"

"Sounds like the local pair and I will be in charge of doing most of the damage" Teana remarked as she readied dual Mirage Longswords. "Heh… I've never tried to cut something scissor-style with these blades; let's see if I can do it."

They made a beeline for their target, which wasn't hard; between the reddish glow of the massive and mobile Primordial Life Fiber in the night, and the 'feel' of its and Ragyō's powerful and twisted energy signatures, finding the thing was not difficult at all. They quickly closed in on their two targets, the smaller of which soon spotted them coming as well.

"So you girls still plan on trying to stand against me again, hm?" Ragyō asked with a smirk as the sextet took up position hovering together several meters up & away from her; they noticed that she was not standing directly on the PLF, but on a specially-prepared handkerchief spread out beneath her high-heel-clad feet. "Oh, and who are these newcomers?"

"They are representatives from the Dimensional Defense Force," Satsuki replied, "a coalition of individuals and sovereign powers with jurisdiction over several Realms."

"They saw a bit of what was goin' on here," Ryūko picked up, "and sent a few of their heavy hitters to help us out."

"We got the whole story from these guys," Subaru said, "and we won't let you succeed in your twisted goal to sacrifice this Realm's humanity."

"We're gonna burn you and the Primordial Life Fiber to ashes" Teana added. "We'll stop the spread of the parasite here and now!"

"We of the DDF have stopped a great number of world-threatening giant monsters and superpowered evildoers" Sasuke said. "You and the Life Fibers will just be two more names on a long list. Hell, Naruto & I have already stopped someone with a plan superficially similar to yours; at least you won't be trying to reflect a giant illusion-casting eye off the Moon…"

Ragyō chuckled. "How amusing… But now that I know there are other human-populated Realms out there, perhaps I can spread the Life Fibers' glory and perfection to them as well… May I have at least have your names, so I may know what to carve on your headstones?"

"Hmph. Uchiha Sasuke, great-grandson of the great and terrible Uchiha Madara, inheritor of Ōtsutsuki Indra's will and power."

"Nakajima Subaru, partner of the second 7-Tails and member of TSAB Sigma Team."

"First Lieutenant Teana Uchiha-Lanstar, leader of UNSC Gamma Team, cousin of Sasuke and great-granddaughter of Uchiha Madara."

"You're meeting your end today, Kiryūin Ragyō – this world will be freed from the Life Fibers' tyranny. So says son of the Yellow Flash, Partner of the Nine-Tails, Second Sage of _Myōbokuzan_, inheritor of Ōtsutsuki Asura's will and power…" He flashed Ragyō a thumbs-down. "Uzumaki Naruto!"

"With the six of us together," Ryūko said, "our power and techniques combined… There's no way we can lose!"

Ragyō chuckled softly, and then it built into full-blown laughter that showed off her unnaturally sharp teeth. "_La vie est drôle_… Alright then, children." From the glowing red surface beneath and to either side of her, two handles rose up that she gripped and pulled free, revealing two dull-red blades of ultra-hardened Life Fibers. "Let us play!"

Ryūko and Teana moved in first, striking with the Scissor Blades and Mirage Longswords in a rapid barrage of blows from both sides. However, Ragyō managed to block the blows, and then countered with two rapid swings strong enough to send both girls flying back. Sasuke and Satsuki moved in next, the latter showing a result of her time-displaced training by channeling Lightning-type chakra through her blades just as Sasuke did the same with his weapon. Another flurry of strikes put Ragyō on the defensive, and this time Satsuki managed to land a hit. It wasn't much, a tiny two-inch-long cut across Ragyō's cheek, but the Lightning chakra briefly paralyzed the Life Fibers that were interwoven with the woman's body, slowing (though not stopping) the regeneration.

What's more, however, it got her attention. Ragyō's expression switched to a frown, and she went for a feint leading into a slash aimed at Satsuki's chest. The girl and her partner leapt back away from her, dodging the blow, and they landed atop the Primordial Life Fiber a few meters away. Then, Sasuke's eyes widened and he immediately formed a Stage-0 _Susanō _ribcage around himself with a skeletal arm extending to shield Satsuki, protecting the both of them from a lightning-fast strike from Ragyō, who now suddenly looked furious.

"How _dare_ you place your filthy feet upon this divine being?" she snarled.

"You sound like that 'Kenson' woman after Harbinger's artifact messed with her brain" Sasuke replied. "Hmm… Maybe the Primordial Life Fiber has a similar 'Indoctrinating' effect as the Reapers?"

Sasuke and Satsuki suddenly leapt clear as Naruto came in with a falling axe kick right onto Ragyō's upper back, putting so much chakra-enhanced strength into it that it made the Life-Fiber 'ground' beneath her buckle and warp downward a little bit. As the Life Fibers inside her body rapidly worked to knit her cracked bones back together, she growled and spun around with a swing of one of her blades, cutting a thin slice across the front of Naruto's jacket as he leapt back. Subaru came in next from the right, lashing out with a supercharged punch augmented by the spinning force of her Revolver Knuckle. Ragyō blocked as best she could, but the force still sent her flying/spinning back.

"_Katon: Gōkakyū_!"

A sizable fireball from Teana rushed in, and Ragyō swung both her blades in an 'X' strike, cleaving it apart. The evil woman took to the air, rushing at Teana with blinding speed and catching hold of her by the front of her open jacket. Teana growled and struggled as Ragyō looked her over.

"Clothing made of transformed and solidified magical energy… Quite interesting. But you'll look so much better once I've stripped that pale imitation of perfection off of you and wrapped you in a beautiful 'dress' of Life Fibers."

Teana's response was to form a Form-0 _Susanō _arm and lash out, forcing Ragyō to leap back to avoid being smashed by the reddish-orange skeletal arm.

"Sorry, but I'm kinda attached to this outfit" Teana replied. "Besides, after what I've heard from your daughters, the thought of _you_ seeing me naked makes my skin crawl. Plus, I prefer tuxedoes over dresses."

"_Raiton: Raijū Hashiri_!"

"_Katon: Hōsenka_!"

Ragyō turned and saw the two hounds made of semi-solidified Lightning chakra unleashed toward her by Sasuke and the barrage of small smart-tracking fireballs exhaled by Ryūko. She dove/dropped straight down just when they were about to hit, and the chakra 'projectiles' couldn't correct for the sudden course change and were left to fizzle out. Ryūko & Satsuki charged into melee range, triggering their outfits' 'Blade Modes' for extra angles of attack. They struck in twin whirling barrages of strikes from both sides, but Ragyō managed to dodge of block every blow and then shove both girls back.

The evil woman's attention was then drawn to a sudden flash of golden light. Naruto hovered in place a few dozen meters away, shrouded in a golden-yellow aura that conformed to his body from head to toe, flickering like a calm flame. Six _magatama_ markings were around his neck, and a swirl pattern with a downward-curving _tomoe_ at the bottom was on the center of his stomach area, surrounded by two 'spurs' that ran down the front of his legs and up to a vertical black 'bar' that lined up with his sternum, connected to which were two rows of circles that extended out to spiral patterns on his upper arms. His eyes had turned red with slit pupils.

[AN: Basically, it's the form Naruto's golden chakra shroud took after he snatched the Nine-Tails' power but before he gained Kurama's trust and full cooperation; he now uses it as an intermediary power- and capability-wise between baseline and 'full' (post-Kurama-befriending) Chakra Shroud states – imagine this as his Super Saiyan 1 equivalent, while the post-Kurama variant/mode is SS2]

"Nine-Tails' Chakra Shroud, Stage One!" he announced.

"What is this power?" Ragyō murmured, staring in curious wonder at what she saw and 'sensed'.

"That is the power of a Tailed Beast."

Ragyō turned to see Satsuki looking at her, arms crossed.

"The Tailed Beasts" the eldest daughter continued "are entities of vast age and incredible power, most of them native to Naruto-kun & Sasuke-kun's world. Centuries, if not millennia, in age, they are essentially living, sapient masses of chakra able to take physical form. The 'prime' Tailed Beasts are nine in number, ranging from one to nine tails in increasing power, and the DDF also 'possesses' two more Beasts, separate in origin from the prime Nine, who are survivors/refugees from a 'dead' Realm. The weakest of the 12 Beasts, the 1-Tailed Tanuki, can easily level a whole forest by himself. Furthermore, they can be bound – forcibly or willingly – to a sapient host, sealed within them, and in that case the host can utilize their power and abilities. An unwilling partnership can cause… side effects to this, but if Host and Beast gain each other's trust and respect, they can utilize each other's strengths to the fullest without drawbacks."

She smirked. "What you see before you is but a fraction of Naruto & Kurama's full combined power."

"A fraction's all we'll need for now" Naruto chimed in, pounding his fist into his palm.

Ragyō scowled. "No force, man or 'beast', can stand against the might of the Life Fibers. And I, Kiryūin Ragyō, bear their power and blessing! You cannot stop us!"

'WE'LL SEE ABOUT THAT, YOU CRAZY BITCH' Kurama's telepathic voice replied.

Meanwhile, over on the _Naked Sun_, the Elite Four had donned/activated their newest, highest-level _Goku _Uniforms, and were using their new abilities and power boosts to help Mako thrash the horde of Covers continually attacking the ship. However, the enemy was stepping up their assault, attacking in greater numbers and greater aggression, and the quintet was beginning to be pushed back. There was a sudden flare of energy and light in the air above the ship, but it was lost amongst the numerous explosions from the firepower being thrown around.

Down on the bow-ward portion of the flight deck, Mako used her uniform's numerous clubs and maces to bash away Covers, along with kicks from her super-strength-enabled legs. However, after taking down three standard-size Covers, she looked up as a 15-meter one made ready to body slam her, and realized she didn't have time to get out of the way…

"_SHANNARO!-!-!_"

A green and pink blur shot down, delivering a punch charged with so much explosive power that the huge construct was sent hurtling away into the ocean. Mako looked on in mild amazement as a newcomer landed on the flight deck – clad in a red dress under a green flak jacket, with light-pink hair fluttering in the ocean breeze, a green diamond-shaped seal on her forehead.

"Hey" Sakura said to Mako. "DDF reinforcements are here."

"…Are you the Sakura-san Naruto-kun mentioned?"

"Yep! And I didn't come alone…"

Elsewhere around or over the ship, each of the Elite Four gained some sudden help. Inumuta saw as glowing green threads formed around and entangled a trio of armored Covers trying to box him in, and then a blonde-haired woman in a flowing green dress emerged and blasted them with a Wind-style attack that blew them clear off the ship. Near the stern, Gamagoori was about to turn to try and strike an oncoming 8-meter Cover with a backhand while fending off its partner still grappling with him, when suddenly a muscled man with wolf ears & tail stepped into its path, blocking its blow with armored gauntlets and then lashing out with an electrified punch that sent it hurtling clear across the deck. Nonon felt a flash of panic as three Covers got in close enough that her shoulder-mounted cannons might miss, but then a little red blur moved in and swung a big-ass hammer that knocked them all skyward. Lastly, as Sanageyama grappled with a pair of arm-blade-wielding Covers, he saw as four more touched down and rushed him, but then a purple-hued flash of motion accompanied a tall pink-haired woman dashing by them. She sheathed her ornate-looking sword, and the Covers were sliced open, their human captives falling free, and then exploded.

"The Blazing General, Signum, on station" she announced.

"The Iron Hammer Knight, Vita, on station!" the little redhead girl in a fancy red dress wielding a hammer announced.

"Lady of the Lake, Shamal, on station" the green-clad woman spoke with serene calmness and iron strength at the same time.

"The Shielding Guardian Beast, Zafira, on station" the wolf-man spoke in an impressive baritone.

"Knights of the Silver Cloud, the _Wolkenritter_, in attendance!-!" the quartet announced together.

Mako, Sakura, and the two groups of four gathered at the center of the deck during the brief lull in enemy action.

"Our Commander and mistress, Yagami Hayate, was unable to join us in this deployment due to a political meeting of some importance" Signum said to the locals. "However, she sent us to provide assistance and firepower here, just as Senju Tsunade-sama, mentor of young Haruno Sakura-san here, sent her."

"Our mistress, Kiryūin Satsuki-sama, is among the fighters engaging our true enemy out there" Gamagoori pointed to the aerial battle raging near the massive Primordial Life Fiber. "She tasked us with defending this vessel in her absence."

"Then we shall aid in that defense" Zafira replied.

"Another wave's comin' in" Vita remarked, gripping Graf Eisen's hilt tightly as she looked out at the sizable approaching force of Covers making their way toward the _Naked Sun_.

"Then let's meet them head-on and show them who they're dealing with" Sakura replied, cracking her knuckles.

"Alllllright!" Mako shouted, folding her arms dramatically. "Let's break 'em!"

Back at the 'main' battle area, Naruto's increased speed and strength had put Ragyō on the defensive for a while. However, she was now using more of her considerable power, moving faster and striking harder, enough to give the sextet trouble even with Uzumaki's power boost, and what's more the Primordial Life Fiber had actively joined the fight, firing missiles and high-velocity 'spears' of ultra-hardened Life Fibers up at the flying heroes. Right now, Ragyō was grappling with Satsuki, mother and daughter trying to out-muscle each other.

"I can sense you've altered Junketsu," Ragyō said with a fanged grin, "augmented it with part of the essence from that flawed Kamui Senketsu. Tainting Junketsu's purity with that human-sympathizing _heretic's_ power… I can hardly wait to see you punished for such insolence."

"You won't be 'punishing' _anyone_ anymore!" Ryūko cried out as she rushed in from the side, lashing out with a super-strength blow that forced Ragyō back, if only briefly. The younger sister followed with a focused shockwave-blast of power that sent Ragyō hurtling back nearly a hundred meters, with Ryūko flying right after her in close pursuit, Scissor Blades raised for a deadly strike. However, Ragyō abruptly regained control, and with a cold smirk she flashed forward and gripped Ryūko by the throat.

"My, my, little daughter…" she purred. "Still giving me such attitude and defiance…" Her other hand reached out to caress Ryūko's bare midriff. "Perhaps a little more 'training' is in order… Mm?"

Ragyō's eyes widened a little, her smile dropping into a confused expression, as she looked closely at what Ryūko was wearing. When she'd gazed up close at Junketsu just a moment ago, she could see the tainted creature's eyes staring right back at her, but here… what was once Senketsu's left eye was now just an 'eye-spot' – a decorative pattern, almost.

"…Where… is your Kamui?"

"Heh… Heheh… Shall we show her your new self's power, Senketsu?"

'I THOUGHT YOU'D NEVER ASK' the entity's voice echoed telepathically.

Ryūko's whole body was suddenly enveloped in a surging aura of red chakra, forcing Ragyō back. Red flickers of 'flames' rose up and around, and intricate black symbols covered her body.

"WHILE WE WERE TRAINING FOR THIS BATTLE," Kurama's voice echoed out from Naruto's position, "I HAD NARUTO USE HIS CONNECTION WITH ALL MY OTHER BRETHREN TO CALL US ALL TOGETHER. THEN, USING THE KNOWLEDGE THAT OUR 'FATHER' ŌTSUTSUKI HAGOROMO PASSED ONTO ME, I HEADED AN ELABORATE RITUAL, USING OUR POWER, OUR ESSENCES AND THE STRENGTH OF THE BOND BETWEEN RYŪKO'S HEART AND SENKETSU'S, TO TRANSCEND SENKETSU INTO A NEW FORM, A NEW POWER, A NEW ESSENCE …"

Ryūko's eyelids rose, and she glared at her evil mother with red-rimmed eyes, golden-yellow sclera surrounding red irises and orange-ringed yellow pupils.

"…A NEW TAILED BEAST!"

Superimposed over the image before her, Ragyō 'saw' a brief image of a massive figure, hidden completely in shadow except for two glowing multicolored eyes with an X-shaped scar over one, as well as at least two swishing shadowy tails behind, along with 'hearing' a soft and very deep growl.

"ROUND TWO, WITCH" Senketsu's voice echoed out.

"Come on, 'mom'…" Ryūko snarled, her red aura flickering a bit stronger. "Let's _go!-!_"

She blitzed forward, landing a punch to Ragyō's face that sent the woman tumbling end over end with great velocity for a considerable distance. She flew in hot pursuit, and this time she was ready for Ragyō's counter, flying up & over the woman's sword stab and forming a large red chakra claw that she swung downward, sending Ragyō hurtling toward the ocean below. She pulled up at the last second, only to be blindsided by a punch from Sasuke's Form-1 _Susanō _that rocketed her toward the Primordial Life Fiber, impacting and skipping across the top of it.

Ragyō managed to roll to a stop on one knee, snarling in fury, but then she looked up at Teana hovering overhead, gathering chakra. Teana could sense as something rather powerful entered the dimensional realm that the _Mangekyō _eyes could access, sent into it by Kakashi as he helped Arbiter-led forces wrap up a fight against Mdama's people back in their Realm. Before it could dissipate, she opened another 'gate' to let the transferred power out, and from a distortion a few meters in front of her a massive, very bright beam of greenish-white superheated plasma shot out: a blast/beam from a Sangheili Type-47 'Scarab' Ultra-Heavy Assault Platform's main gun – fired at Kakashi, sucked up by his eye's ability, and now 'spat out' directly down at the Primordial Life Fiber and Ragyō. The evil woman immediately flew out of the way, but could not hope to stop the beam of plasma – hot and powerful enough to literally melt a tank with just a second's direct fire – from burning a line up the PLF's topside, blasting a deep burning gouge as it went. When it faded, the Primordial Life Fiber had a sizable smoldering scar, exposed Life Fibers visibly struggling to pull themselves together in the wake of the heavy superheated damage.

Ragyō's dark aura of twisted power flared like a twisted inferno as she became completely enraged at the desecration and damaging of the Primordial Life Fiber. Now at full power, she charged upward at Teana with bloody murder on her mind, fangs and Life-Fiber swords bared. Naruto and Satsuki intercepted her, the blond boy firing off a _Fūton: Shinkūgyoku_ and the tall girl a _Raiton: Chidori Senbon_, but the wind bullets and lightning needles were ignored as they crashed against the enraged woman. Naruto roared out in challenge, channeling power into his fist as he dove down to meet her.

The Primordial Life Fiber wasn't very happy with current events, either. Its front end split open, now resembling a giant flower of sorts, and it fired a giant 'harpoon' out through the night sky, striking and burying itself in the forward section of the _Naked Sun_'s flight deck. The massive entity began to turn in the air, slowly moving toward the stricken carrier. All attempts to blast the harpoon's cord off by the ship's defenders failed, it proving too resilient to be destroyed by their attacks.

"We've gotta take that thing out quick," Sasuke shouted, "before it can cause any major damage!"

"Do we even have anything that can dish out enough firepower to accomplish that?" Teana asked.

"…We do, actually" Ryūko replied. "Guys, cover me! Senketsu and I are gonna need a minute to get ready!"

She flew out, getting some distance from the main battle, and then began charging chakra. Meanwhile, a flash of blue light signaled Subaru entering her Stage-1 Tailed Beast Chakra Mode as she rushed at Ragyō from above, entering a rapid exchange of blows finishing with a chakra-charged kick that Ragyō blocked against as it sent her 'skidding' back through the air. Satsuki moved in next, matching blades with her evil mother, and the second she stepped back Teana was in to take her place. Finally, Naruto came in with a haymaker that knocked Ragyō for a loop.

Ragyō growled as she shook off the blow, glaring at the heroes menacing her. Suddenly, she noticed a growing light, and turned to see Ryūko hovering near the outer 'edge' of the battle area, her red chakra coat steadily brightening and growing more animated. Her hands were clasped in a seal, and it was plainly obvious that, for whatever reason, she was gathering power. A _lot_ of power.

(MUSIC: _Kill La Kill _OST 1 – "KiLL La KiLL (斬LLLア生LL)") – (0:34)

"So you have Ryūko preparing for something big…" Ragyō sneered. "It won't matter; nothing you have can kill the Primordial Life Fiber. …But why take the chance? I'll put an end to this now!"

She took off flying full-speed toward Ryūko, aiming to slice her apart.

"Not so fast!"

Ragyō had to abruptly halt to block the strike from Satsuki's blades, the eldest sister unleashing a flurry of lightning-charged blows with such ferocity and speed that Ragyō was forced back a little. Satsuki shrugged off a kick to the midsection, and countered with a backhand to the side of the head, and then flash-stepped back and away to get distance as the other four fighters readied and fired the techniques taught to them by the Z-Group, two blue and two purple beams of _ki_/chakra:

Naruto & Subaru: "Kamehameha!"

Teana & Sasuke: "Galick Gun!"

The four beams converged on Ragyō, triggering a sizable explosion. After a few seconds, she flew up out of it, visibly regenerating from the damage and looking even angrier. But then, she noticed as the glowing light of chakra from the final member of the sextet peaked with a beautiful flash.

(1:06)

"LET'S GO, _RYUUKOOOO!-!_"

Both: "_BIJŪ HENSHIN!-!-!_" {尾獣変身}

A loud crack sounded out as a huge burst of 'smoke' erupted out around Ryūko. After a second, a huge black-furred hand-like clawed paw emerged stepping out, its bottom glowing faintly with chakra as it stood atop the water. Then, with a loud and long thunderous roar, awesome and majestic, the smoke was blown away to reveal an enormous fox, black fur with red along the ears, on the paws, and at the tips of its six extended swaying tails. Two large eyes – rimmed with red fur, with yellow sclera, red irises, and orange-rimmed yellow pupils, an X-shaped scar-like pattern across the right eye – shone in the night, glaring right at Ragyō. Down on the _Naked Sun_, the people stared in awe, shock, and wonder, while Ragyō felt a twinge of fear as she beheld the full might and majesty of Senketsu's new self.

"This battle…" Ryūko and Senketsu's voices sounded out together "_WILL END!-!_"

(END at 1:42)

**-****_CHAPTER END_****-**

Next Time: Things get even more epic and explodey! Stay tuned…


	2. Finding Your Way

Whoever designed _Halo 2_'s checkpoint locations for Legendary needs to be punched in the goddamn face so fucking hard their head fucking explodes. Just spent 20 minutes dying over and over and then finally clearing the building and activating the bridge, surviving the two Ghosts and getting aboard the Scorpion, making it across the bridge and scrapping the Wraiths and Ghosts, only to get killed by the Banshees from behind just before you can reach the tunnel? TOO BAD! Now you're all the way back to the hilltop overlooking the (bridge is back up, Grunts in turrets again, patrolling Ghosts are back) facility!

And then… _And __**then**_, there's the 10th circle of Hell, otherwise known as "Off the Rock, Through the Bush, Nothing But Jackal"…

**SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR DISCLAIMERS**

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES

**-**_**CHAPTER START**_**-**

**Realm KL-4**

Everyone on both sides stared at the titanic being that Senketsu and Ryūko had become, assuming the former's new true form. The gigantic black-and-red-furred _kitsune_-form being – easily over 100 meters in size – let out a low growl as he glared at his targets, the air shimmering around him and water rippling out below him from his mere presence. Six long and thin tails, black with red tips, waved lazily in the night air, and a set of fangs – each taller than a human being – was partially bared.

Senketsu felt incredible. This tremendous amount of sheer, raw, primal power would likely have been overwhelming for him alone, but with Ryūko's mind and will and essence working alongside his own, it was in total control. It was a little odd having legs, digits at the end of his arms, and a half-dozen tails, but seeing as Kurama had been the one whose form Senketsu's new 'self' was mostly based on, it came with an instinctual knowledge on how to use his various new parts. He could clearly 'feel' Ryūko's life-essence and presence merged with his, her mind operating in concert with his own; she too felt nearly overwhelmed by the raw power and presence she now helped control, but being 'with' him like this helped her keep calm and focused.

The Primordial Life Fiber fired a wave of missiles at the new Tailed Beast. Senketsu swung two of his six tails, and a wave of power and wind lashed out, blowing the missiles wildly off-course and detonating them harmlessly. Next, he turned his gaze on the Life-Fiber harpoon 'cable' connecting the PLF to the _Naked Sun_; with how huge his body now was, it was proportionately nearby, within his reach. With movement faster than most of the onlookers suspected from something of his size, he turned and swung one of his claws at it, tearing straight through it in one blow. As the two severed ends of the cable dropped free into the ocean, the PLF rumbled as if in irritation, angered by its 'meal' of the ship's humans being denied to it. Everyone 'felt' as the massive dark entity's twisted energy signature increased in power, its reddish glow brightening slightly as it made ready to fight harder.

"You…" Ragyō seethed. "You think this will be enough?-! You may be stronger than ever, but even you cannot hope to match the Primordial Life Fiber, the apex being of this world!"

She suddenly became aware of Naruto flying toward her from the side, his golden aura brightening and growing. Then, he 'erupted' in a massive cloud of smoke.

"Don't underestimate the power…" "…OF THE TAILED BEASTS!"

From out of the smoke, Ragyō was hit by a giant orange fist much bigger than her entire body. As the hit sent her rocketing away, a massive figure leapt high out of the smoke. At the same time, Subaru was enveloped in a flash of blue and a cloud of smoke, and a second later a third giant dove out of it. The two entities landed on either side of the already-present titan, and the heroes stared in wonder at what was now arrayed against Ragyō and the Primordial Life Fiber:

Senketsu, the new 6-Tailed Fox; Fenris, the dead Realm's 7-Tailed Wolf; and the mightiest of them all, the 9-Tailed Fox Kurama… All of them stood side by side atop the waves, their combined presence and might in one place enough to be 'sensed' throughout the whole solar system.

"T… _Three_ Tailed Beasts…" Sakura gasped. "This much power…"

"Magnificent…" Satsuki breathed out.

"Oh," Vita remarked as she stood atop a defeated Cover, "this is going to be _good_…"

"YOU TWO ARE JUMPING IN AS WELL?" Senketsu asked his stronger fellows. "MIGHT THIS QUALIFY AS OVERKILL?"

"IN OUR EXPERIENCE," Fenris replied, "WHAT MANY CALL 'OVERKILL' IS GENERALLY NECESSARY. BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY."

"BESIDES, KID," Kurama grinned, "IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE GOTTEN TO ACTUALLY FIGHT." His expression turned serious. "PLUS, WE CAN'T BE SURE THAT WHAT THAT GIANT THING IS DISPLAYING NOW IS ITS FULL POWER. LIKE FENRIS SAID, WE MIGHT NEED TO GO ALL-OUT OR CLOSE TO IT. WE'LL NEED SOME BIG POWER TO ACTUALLY CAUSE SERIOUS DAMAGE TO THE PRIMORDIAL LIFE FIBER; THE DAMN THING'S BIGGER THAN WE ARE, THOUGH NOT AS BIG AS THE 10-TAILS' FIRST FORM, THANKFULLY."

'Plus it doesn't have a gigantic mouth full of multiple rows of teeth like the 10-Tails did, either' Naruto's telepathic voice added. 'Thank goodness…'

'Don't jinx it' Ryūko replied. 'It might very well have that and just hasn't showed it yet.'

'Well,' Subaru chimed in, 'we've got _three_ sets of jaws here. And, if we need any more heavy power, Tia and Sasuke-kun both have access to their Fourth-Form _Susanō_, and Satsuki-san… um… She and the Wolkenritter can keep Ragyō busy, I guess…'

"IT'S GETTING READY TO MOVE…" Fenris warned, the massive blue-&-silver-furred 7-tailed wolf glaring with fangs bared at the Primordial Life Fiber.

"WE'LL HAVE TO HIT IT HARD AND FAST" Senketsu said. "SPECIFICALLY, WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO DEAL DAMAGE QUICKER THAN IT CAN REGENERATE. THAT WON'T BE EASY."

(MUSIC: Naruto Shippūden Not-Officially-Released Track: "My Name" (animé version))

"HA! WHEN IS IT EVER?" Kurama replied. "COME ON, BOYS AND HOSTS! LET'S SHOW THIS OVERGROWN GOURD AND THE PSYCHO WHO WORSHIPS IT JUST WHAT THE SIX OF US CAN DO!"

The Primordial Life Fiber fired a massive wave of missiles at the three Tailed Beasts, but the trio leapt forward in different directions, scattering as they jumped clear of the missiles that now harmlessly impacted the water where they'd been a moment ago. As he sailed through the air, Kurama formed and fired a 'cannon-ball' of compressed air at the PLF, impacting with significant concussive and explosive force, blowing one of its large rear 'fins' completely off. Then, as he came down on it from above, Senketsu curled in and spun forward rapidly, becoming a black and red rotating blur that was rapidly shrouded in chakra-based flames, as he & Ryūko called out:

"_KATON: KAENGURUMA!-!_" {火遁・火炎車}

Basically using a stronger, fire-wreathed version of the 3-Tailed Turtle's attack, the rapidly-rotating fiery fox slammed down onto the Primordial Life Fiber's 'back' right beside the still-healing mark left by the Scarab cannon shot, grinding and burning into it. After a couple seconds he rebounded/'bounced' up and away, the transferred force from that doing further damage and revealing the sizable wound left behind. There was a cry of raw fury as Ragyō charged at the 6-Tails, consumed with rage at the harming of the Primordial Life Fiber, but she was intercepted and engaged by Teana, Sasuke, and Satsuki, the two Uchihas and the 'rogue' Kiryūin pushing her back despite her power and rage.

Fenris moved in from the PLF's left, lashing out with an electrified claw swipe that cut a few gashes along its side, the powerful Lightning-type chakra paralyzing the injured Life Fibers and slowing their self-repair. The 7-Tailed Wolf then leapt back, releasing a 'wave' of hundreds of Lightning Hounds, crashing into the entity's wounded side like electrical missiles. The Primordial Life Fiber loosed another missile barrage of its own, but Senketsu & Fenris leapt to the sides to dodge, and Kurama curled his tails forward to form a shield, blocking the blasts from causing any harm to him.

Sasuke fell back and circled around as Teana and Satsuki engaged Ragyō up close once more. With how much power the evil woman was putting out, and how hard, fast, and vicious her attacks were, only Teana & Sasuke's Sharingan and Satsuki's familiarity with her mother's style allowed the trio to keep up for the moment. Still, they were giving as good as they got; Ragyō constantly had at least one wound in the process of regenerating at every moment of the battle. She jumped back from a decapitating strike from Teana, only for a rising swing from Satsuki to split her open vertically. Even as the bleeding slit in her torso started closing itself, she lashed out with a kick that nearly broke one of Teana's ribs, only for the redhead to counter that with an uppercut to the jaw. Sasuke then made his attack from the rear side, cutting a gash across Ragyō's mid-back.

As it was struck by a concentrated shotgun-blast of fireballs from the 6-Tailed Fox, the Primordial Life Fiber fired another wave of missiles, but this time they were aimed at the _Naked Sun_. However, it had forgotten the presence of the heavy hitters protecting the ship, the strongest of which stepped up, injecting two mana cartridges into her sword-form Device which then glowed with charged Fire-type power.

"_Karyū Issen_!"

Signum swung her blade, and a wave of Fire magic shot out, impacting and setting off nearly all of the incoming missiles well away from the carrier. The few remaining were easily shot down by the others.

Fenris and Senketsu blasted the PLF with bolts of lightning and fire, blowing more holes in its hide. A fiery claw and a thunder-charged bite followed, tearing more deep gashes in the massive red-orange entity. Then, the PLF's surface abruptly seized, and multiple large spikes formed and shot out, trying to impale the two. Senketsu leapt back, landing a considerable distance away, while Fenris sidestepped and struck with an electrified triple tail-whip that stunned the monster. Then, Kurama leapt in, landing right in front of the Primordial Life Fiber and reaching out. He wrapped his arms around the bulbous front, digging his claws into it, and then braced himself, his feet glowing from how much water-walking chakra he was focusing into them to keep from slipping under the ocean surface. The nine-tailed fox spirit growled as he strained his chakra-enhanced muscles, and that turned into a roar as he actually lifted the giant thing into the air, flipping it over his shoulder judo-style and then slamming it down onto its 'back', making a tremendous splash. He followed this with a strike of two tail-tips charged with slicing Wind chakra, cutting a long and deep gouge into the stunned entity's side.

"IT'S TIME TO FINISH IT!" He shouted. "SENKETSU, RYŪKO, THIS ONE'S ALL YOU!"

Already shocked and angry from seeing the Primordial Life Fiber tossed around and brutalized like this, Ragyō turned her attention out to where the giant being that Senketsu had become was standing atop the ocean several hundred meters away… and she felt a flash of panic and horror as she saw how the massive fox had his head held up and jaws wide open, his six tails curled forward with the tips pointing to a spot above his head, and there countless large particles of black and white energy were rapidly converging into an increasingly huge dark-hued ball of power. The sphere abruptly compressed, becoming bright with energy, and then Ryūko & Senketsu's voices called out:

"_BIJŪDAMA!-!-!_"

The very large, brightly-glowing energy ball was fired forward with significant speed, straight at the downed Primordial Life Fiber. Kurama leapt clear with less than a full second to spare. Upon impact, there was a sparkle-flash of light, and a half-second later that erupted into an _enormous_ explosion, completely engulfing the PLF. The light from the spherical blast was visible for hundreds of miles around, and the shockwaves stirred the sea into a tempest that tossed the _Naked Sun _about to an almost worrying degree even at its distance from the epicenter. Honnōji Academy, not too far away, shook as the ground and sea beneath and around it was affected.

When the smoke cleared, Ragyō trembled in horror. The Primordial Life Fiber had been blown to pieces, many of them scattered all over and beginning to sink, its largest portion – with its core now exposed, blown open, and having lost its light – having been blown clear over close to the shore, spread out amongst the partially-submerged ruins of an old building. From looking at the wreckage, it was clear this was not all or even most of the entity; a significant portion of the PLF was just _gone_, vaporized by the hit it had taken.

"This… This can't be happening…" Ragyō murmured. "This is impossible!"

"Having trouble comprehending what's right in front of you, Ragyō?" Ryūko's voice called out from Senketsu's position. "Well, we _are_ pretty incomprehensible!"

After a few seconds, the evil woman snarled. "This isn't over…" she growled out. Then, she turned and flew away, off toward the academy as fast as she could go.

**-**_**Break**_**-**

The carrier _Naked Sun_, damaged but still functional, pulled up to the main dock of Honnōji Academy. After the Tailed Beast trio had reverted to human form, the combatants group had rested up a little, and were now prepared to storm the castle backed by hundreds of people – the former victims of the Covers, now resuscitated and donned in new Life-Fiber-based combat uniforms forged by Iori. Mako, Sakura, Satsuki's Elite Four, and the Wolkenritter would be toward the front, while the 'main' sextet – Naruto, Ryūko, Subaru, Teana, Sasuke, and Satsuki – led the charge. Even Aikurō and Tsumugu were joining in, piloting their 'DTR' mini-mechs.

Soon, the massive armored gates leading into the academy's huge central courtyard were busted down, and the heroes' army poured in. One corner of the courtyard was dominated by a large structure – the comm. tower. An even larger spire stood up from the far edge of the courtyard, overlooking the entire academy.

"So there's the tower" Teana remarked. "Now we've just got to-"

"_The show's not over yet~!-!_"

"…beat the Final Boss and her enforcer" the redhead finished.

A large hologram appeared from atop the command spire, overlooking the heroes, of a young girl in a frilly, poofy pink dress and her long blonde hair in two humongous curly pigtails with a big heart-shaped pink bow in her hair. She had a pair of artificial arms, black with blue lines running along them. Her left eye was covered by a purple eyepatch in the shape of the katakana '_Nu_', and her remaining blue eye was slightly bloodshot with the iris shrunken in, giving her an unstable look that was only exacerbated by the mouth full of fang-like teeth beneath.

"Harime Nui" Ryūko remarked. "Damn, she _has_ snapped."

"_Those Kamui and those Goku Uniforms… With all that, you were just the opening act! The headline act is the ultimately chic and elegant fashion show put on by the ultimate Grant Couturier and her ultimate model! WELCOME TO THE RUNWAY OF DEATH!-!_"

As the hologram faded, the main spire split into two halves, opening up to allow something to slowly float up and out. That something was Ragyō, but now she was clad in an elaborate red-lined white hooded robe that released a rainbow light from within the wide-open sleeves and the hood around her head. Nui knelt at her side, while the 'combat secretary' Rei Hououmaru – a petite dark-skinned woman in a white suit – calmly stood nearby.

"This world belongs to Life Fibers" she announced. "You cannot stop the Star-seed Cocoon Sphere plan!"

"We _will_!" Satsuki replied. "Kiryūin blood flows in our veins, and for that very reason, we will alter that fate!"

"We've already killed the Primordial Life Fiber" Ryūko added. "Quit being a sore loser!"

"Careful, girls" Sasuke warned them. "Her power level's jumped significantly. This won't be as easy as the first fight against her."

"The boy speaks wisdom" Ragyō said with a wicked grin. "Behold! The ultimate Kamui! _Shinra Kōketsu_!-!"

"Time for the finishing touches…" Nui remarked, looking to the side at Hououmaru.

"Right…" the woman replied, sounding a slight bit nervous.

Numerous bright red threads – Life Fibers – shot out from Ragyō's 'outfit' and ensnared her, lifting her up and pulling her close. The red and white cloth of the _Shinra Kōketsu_ seemed to open up, enveloping Hououmaru and pulling her inside; soon, she was completely consumed, hidden from sight.

"Now…" Ragyō hissed as her already-high power level climbed even further. "You shall know true fear! _Absolute Domination!-!_"

A pair of large, multicolored eyes sprang out above & behind Ragyō like the eyespots of a butterfly's wings, with several more, 'smaller' ones appearing beneath to complete the image. A brilliant light shone forth from a point just in front of her chest.

"What was that supposed to do?" Teana asked.

Ragyō chuckled. "Look around."

She did, and gasped as she saw that with the exception of herself, Sasuke, Naruto, Subaru, the Wolkenritter, and Ryūko, everyone was frozen in place. Even Satsuki could barely move, Junketsu feeling like it was anchored to its current position.

"_Shinra Kōketsu _rules over all Life Fibers," Ragyō explained, "paralyzing anything made from them. With your army paralyzed, and Nui at my side, you cannot defeat me with the boost in power this has given me."

"We'll see about that, bitch" Naruto replied.

"You're not gonna kill them all?" Nui asked her 'mother'.

Ragyō shook her head. "A few of the problematic ones, yes. But the rest will make excellent sustenance for the Primordial Life Fiber."

As if on cue, far below at the base of the academy island, the battered remains of the PLF suddenly regained their glow. The entity transitioned into a liquid-like state, and flowed up the spiral path surrounding the academy with significant speed. Reaching the courtyard level near the top, the red flood flowed up and around the energy barrier surrounding the comm. tower, taking a semi-solid form (and a somewhat phallic shape) around it.

"Soon," she continued, "it shall consume you all and return to its full glory!"

"Not if we burn it to ashes first" Signum replied as she, Vita, and Sakura moved up amongst the main sextet.

'You really think we can pull this off?' Teana telepathically asked the Wolkenritter leader.

'To be honest, I'm not sure' Signum replied. 'In her current state, she is considerably powerful even by our standards.'

'Yeah,' Naruto added, 'she's _at least_ as strong as Pain was, if not more.'

'Plus, she's paralyzed nearly all of our allies' Subaru said. 'Without all their help, this is gonna be even harder.'

"Trying to think of a way to stand against me?" Ragyō gloated. "Foolish children! With the amount of power I now bear, nothing you have short of your 'Tailed Beasts' could stand against me, and now that I know the threat they pose, we won't be giving you the time you need to transform into them! And so long as _Shinra Kōketsu_'s Absolute Domination field is in effect, fueled by Hououmaru's presence within it and me, none of your soldiers clad in Life Fibers can move against me!"

"Well then, it's a good thing I've come along."

Startled by the sudden new male voice behind her, Ragyō then gasped as a spectral green hand punched into the back of her 'almighty' Kamui. After a couple seconds, the skeletal appendage pulled out a now-nude Rei Hououmaru, and its owner then wrapped her in multiple bright green Bind spells to keep her out of the fight (and cover her modesty; he was a gentleman, after all). The 'Absolute Domination' field cut out, and Satsuki found herself free to move, along with all the other Life-Fiber-uniform clad members of the heroes' army.

"Who… Who dares?-!" Ragyō snarled.

The perpetrator stepped out from behind her, his mismatched eyes looking up at her.

"Naruto, Sasuke, & Sakura's sensei," he introduced himself, "the Man of 1,000 Jutsu…"

"Hatake-san!" Subaru called out.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto shouted with a grin.

"Yo!" he gave a cheerful wave to the group.

Nui tried to take a swing at Kakashi, but with a blur of motion he flash-stepped down over to the main group.

"When I used _Kamui _(神威) to send away the blast that Scarab fired at me," he said, "I sensed as it was promptly ejected back out by Teana in this Realm. So, I came to investigate."

"Glad you did" Sakura replied. "We could use all the help we can get here, sensei."

"So I see…" his expression turned serious as he looked up at Ragyō.

"More and more of them…" the evil woman hissed quietly in anger. "They just keep coming out of the woodwork like cockroaches…"

"We'll squash them all, Ragyō-sama" Nui replied with a wicked grin, shapeshifting her Life-Fiber arms into blades.

"So…" Teana said. "We've got three high-priority targets: Kiryūin Ragyō, Harime Nui, and the comm. tower which is protected by a barrier _and_ what's left of the Primordial Life Fiber."

"Hey, can I deal the finishing blow to the tower?" Subaru asked. "There's a phrase I saw in a movie a little while ago that I've been waiting for a chance to use in real life!"

"Let's focus on the threats that can actually hit back first, dear."

"Even with your army freed," Ragyō said, "with the power granted by this divine garment, I cannot be beaten by mere humans! Now, on this epic stage, let us commence the final act before the curtain is dropped on humanity! Of course… I believe the cast could use a little expansion…"

She snapped her fingers, and hundreds of shapes began to bulge out from the Primordial Life Fiber. They pulled free, taking form as hundreds of vaguely humanoid constructs of 2 to 4 meters in size, many of them 'armed' with blades, clubs/maces, or whips that extended from their upper limbs. They squared off with the heroes' army, with some of the bigger ones turning their attention to the main hero group. In response, everyone readied their weapons, with Kakashi pulling out a scroll and summoning a weapon he'd kept from the Fourth Shinobi Great War: _Kubikiri Bōchō_, the massive greatsword once wielded by Momochi Zabuza.

"Alright, then" Sasuke said. "It's time to cut these red threads of fate."

The army of 1- and 2-Star students let out a collective war cry as they charged at the matching army of Life-Fiber constructs, led into the battle by Mako, Zafira, and the Elite Four. Ryūko was about to join them, but she had to suddenly turn and block a strike from Nui's arm blades, the unhinged blonde cackling with eye wide and fangs bared as she unleashed a furious flurry of blows.

As fighting broke out all over the courtyard, Satsuki, Signum, Teana, and the quartet of Team 7 flew up to engage Ragyō, while Subaru and Vita moved to take on the 'king-size' constructs charging toward them. Kakashi, Sasuke, and Satsuki channeled Lightning-type chakra through their blades, while Signum wreathed her Laevantein in flames and Teana channeled a little extra power into her Mirage Longswords. The six smaller floating portions behind Ragyō and beneath _Shinra Kōketsu_'s eyes shape-shifted into spearing blades and lashed out, striking with such strength that even Kakashi was forced back a little when he blocked. Satsuki and Teana struck with ferocious speed, a barrage of four blades, but the six appendages still managed to just barely move fast enough to block or parry their blows.

Ragyō then floated backward a few feet to dodge a heel drop from Sakura, letting the blow hit the tower top she'd been hovering over, and her eyes widened as the tower beneath her fractured and warped nearly all the way down; she knew now that, even with the _Shinra Kōketsu_, taking a blow from the pink-haired girl would cause quite some damage to her. Acknowledging that threat, she made to get rid of it, lashing out with two spear-blades at Sakura; however, Signum blocked the hits and countered with a burning slash of her sword, batting the attacking appendages away and leaving smoldering cuts along them.

Naruto and two Shadow Clones moved in next, each of the three wielding a Rasengan. They slammed the spiraling spheres of chakra into three of the extra appendages, damaging them and knocking them back. With the two 'wounded' by Signum, this left only one in any position to do anything at the moment. That lone appendage was maneuvered around by Teana, who landed a deep slash of her superheated blade across Ragyō's chest. As she tried to regenerate from that, Kakashi formed a Shadow Clone, and the three of Team 7 joined their sensei and his duplicate in hovering over Ragyō, forming a circle around & over her as they formed hand-seals and readied elemental chakra:

Sasuke: "_Katon_!"

Naruto: "_Fūton_!"

Kakashi's clone: "_Suiton_!"

Sakura: "_Doton_!"

Kakashi: "_Raiton_!"

All: "_Godai Rendan!-!_" {五大連弾} {Five-Elements Combo}

Chakra-based 'blasts' of Fire, Wind, Water, Stone, and Lightning converged on Ragyō from all sides at once, an explosion engulfing her as they reacted with each other. After a few seconds, however, her _Shinra Kōketsu _appendages lashed out from within the smoke, smacking everyone away and dispelling Kakashi's and Naruto's Shadow Clones. The whole group descended down to avoid further retaliation, as the smoke cleared to show Ragyō almost done regenerating. Looking around, the heroes could see that the battle wasn't going as well as they'd hoped; the Life-Fiber constructs were tougher than expected, and though the big-name hero units weren't doing too badly, the bulk of the good-guy army was on the defensive, with multiple wounded. Ryūko, Subaru, and Vita returned to the group, the former having failed to overcome Nui's defenses in the face of her furious assault; the unstable blonde in question hung back, watching and waiting. Zafira and Mako came in as well.

"We're not doing so well…" the wolf-man murmured.

"We need a game-changer," Satsuki said, "perhaps something to boost our powers…"

"…I think I've got just the thing" Naruto replied. "Stage Two…"

Naruto was enveloped in a flame-like golden aura that contoured to his body, entering the form he'd used earlier, and then it progressed further – the chakra shroud parted down the middle and extended into a form of longcoat or _haori_, revealing a black undergarment with a golden circle on the stomach inside another circle that had a thin gold line running straight up the center of his chest; three _magatama_ on each side of the now-open high collar; and the various swirl patterns becoming complete black circles. Upon seeing this, Subaru and Ryūko looked to each other and nodded, and then assumed their own Stage-2 Chakra Shrouds in blue and red, respectively.

"What?" Kakashi's eyes widened as he looked at Ryūko. "_Another_ Tailed Beast?"

"We'll explain later, sensei" Naruto replied.

Naruto then held out a hand toward Sasuke, and the Uchiha smirked as he bumped fists with him. A wavering aura of golden chakra formed around Sasuke's body, complete with a tail extending up from the lower back. Ryūko grasped Satsuki and Mako's hands, and the two girls gasped as crimson chakra enveloped them, protecting and supercharging them. Subaru chose to embrace Teana from behind, and the redhead let out a soft breath from the combination of her girlfriend's warmth and the equally comforting warmth of the blue Tailed Beast chakra cloak that formed around her from the touch.

The trio then split up, moving with incredible speed, as they moved through the crowd, dodging too-slow swings of the Life-Fiber constructs' weapons and making physical contact with all the good-guy army's units. From Ragyō's perch atop the tower, she scowled as she looked down at the courtyard below, as what looked like hundreds of gold, red, and blue flames flickered to life to light up the night, each and every person being given a chakra cloak.

At Ryūko's hand signal, everyone attacked; the empowered army roared out as they engaged the Life-Fiber constructs with renewed vigor and boosted strength & durability, while Satsuki, Kakashi (clad in a gold chakra-cloak), Signum (in a blue cloak), and Naruto flew up to engage Ragyō, Ryūko's fight with Nui began its second round, and the rest picked targets amongst the enemy horde.

Kakashi swung his massive blade, releasing a slicing wave of gold-tinted lightning that almost completely cut through the spear-blade appendage Ragyō used to block it. A blast of bright-blue flames from Signum followed, burning another appendage and slowing its regeneration, followed by a big golden fist of chakra extending from Naruto's arm and socking Ragyō in the face. Finally, Satsuki moved in, and with twin flashes of blue lightning her dual blades cut through one of the appendages simultaneously, completely severing the Life Fibers so that it couldn't regenerate. Now down to five extra limbs, Ragyō grunted as she released a directed shockwave of power that knocked them back through the air, but they quickly regained control and dove right back in.

"_Katon: Gōka Messhitsu_!"

Sasuke breathed out a tightly focused intense burst of flame, vaporizing a handful of constructs and more importantly enveloping the bottom section of the Primordial Life Fiber still wrapped around the transmitter tower. Wounded and badly burned, the living Life-Fiber entity recoiled, exposing part of the barrier that protected the tower beneath. Higher up, Gamagoori – covered in a red chakra cloak – leapt off of the raised platform he'd been luring the constructs to their deaths at and focused his _Goku _Uniform's power. The armor opened on the front, revealing a stylized face that then fired a face-shaped energy blast at the middle area of the covered tower; the blast, supercharged by the 6-Tails' chakra, blew a sizable hole in the Primordial Life Fiber. Finally, Signum turned and noticed the opening, and as Naruto and Satsuki kept Ragyō busy, she switched her Device to bow form and fired a _Sturmfalke_, the supersonic fire arrow blasting the top of the Primordial Life Fiber. All this damage forced the PLF to retreat downward and away, revealing the tower's barrier.

"Gigant Crusher!"

Vita's cry heralded the forming of a gigantic red & gold hammer as Graf Eisen assumed its largest form. She swung as hard as she could, and the massive hammer impacted the purple-hued barrier, which cracked and then shattered, exposing the tower. Finally, Subaru – hovering over the battlefield – dove down toward the tower, her right fist pulled back as a full-power, 7-Tails-enhanced Vibration Shatter was prepared.

"You're so proud of this tower, Ragyō?-! Well, guess what: _I'm gonna wreck it!-!_"

The strike blew a sizable hole in the top of the tower, and the transferred vibration energy triggered a resonance cascade, the entire tower being violently shaken apart with such force that it failed catastrophically, explosions chaining down it as it was thoroughly destroyed.

Nui Harime snarled as she was pushed back. With the vast increase in strength, speed, and durability that Ryūko's Stage-2 Chakra Shroud granted her, the other girl was using her Scissor Blades to match Nui blow for blow nigh-effortlessly, as well as striking with such force that Nui's guard was nearly broken, her Life-Fiber arms bearing damage that they were taking faster than they could regenerate. With a final cry of fury, she charged at Ryūko, arm-blades formed and ready to chop her head off. Ryūko answered with a silent glare as she charged as well, the two combatants closing at great speed.

As they passed, there was a flash of movement and the sound of a strike. Both fighters were leaned forward, blades held out after their strikes. For a few seconds, neither moved. Then, a pair of shallow cuts formed on Ryūko's stomach area, quickly being regenerated shut. A second later, Nui – her lone eye wide with shocked horror – coughed out a burst of blood. When Ryūko slashed her Scissor Blades across and through Nui's chest from both sides at a slight X-angle, the parts that only one blade had cut at a time had automatically regenerated within a second… But her heart had been cut through by both blades simultaneously, completely severing the Life Fibers woven into it and nullifying all regeneration. Nui collapsed forward, landing on her front and face, and blackness claimed her.

"That…" Ryūko said lowly "was for my father…"

Looking down at the courtyard, Ragyō stared in mute disbelieving horror. The Primordial Life Fiber had been driven back, the transmitter tower had been destroyed, and Nui… Her little girl Nui was _dead_. Shock gradually gave way to a deep, pitch-black rage and fury, her teeth clenching so hard that they would have cracked had they not been interwoven with Life Fibers as a positively demonic look of rage formed on her face.

Down below, nearly the entirety of the Life-Fiber constructs had been wiped out, with a handful of volunteers mopping the remainder up. The 'main' hero group gathered near the center, looking up at their last remaining foe.

"And now, she's angrier than ever…" Sakura sighed.

"And probably stronger than ever as a result" Satsuki added. "Plus, everything we hit her with, she regenerates. We need something that can deal a decisive blow, something that can put her down for the count. But she won't let any of our Tailed Beasts take form…"

"…I've got another idea" Naruto announced. "I know how we can finish her." He grinned. "I'm gonna hit her with one of my greatest and most powerful techniques – one that even Ōtsutsuki Kaguya trembled before!"

With a muted flash, he dispelled his chakra cloak, returning to his normal state. He held out his fists to Subaru and Ryūko, and the girls stepped up and bumped fists with him, their own chakra shrouds dispelling as well. After several seconds, they broke apart.

"You really think this'll work?" Ryūko asked.

"I'm sure of it" Naruto replied.

"No matter if it does or not," Subaru said, "it'll sure be a spectacle, that's for sure…"

Ryūko nodded, and she felt as Naruto gave her a pat on the back of her left shoulder. He then took to the air, flying up to Ragyō's level and then firing a wave of _Ki_/chakra blasts at her. She crossed her arms in front, withstanding them, but as the smoke cleared she saw Naruto flying straight at her with considerable speed.

"Get ready!" he shouted as he closed in. "For one of my mightiest and most infamous techniques, a technique that made even a dark goddess stop in her tracks!"

Ragyō, feeling a flash of panic, fired a few energy blasts and shockwaves at him, but Naruto rolled and dove around them. He got in close, practically right in her face, grinning as he savored the look of shock on her, and then slowly, purposefully, crossed his fingers before him:

"_REVERSE HAREM JUTSU!-!_"

There was a sizable burst of smoke, and then Ragyō was face to face with… an array of about a dozen young men smiling at her, all of them nude and uncommonly handsome.

"…_What_?" Satsuki squeaked out with 'blank white eyes' and a bright red blush.

"Ooooooh~" Mako stared up, a light nosebleed forming.

"Oy…" Kakashi palmed his face.

"_Again?-!_" Sakura screeched, a nosebleed forming.

Utterly flummoxed and stunned by the rather 'interesting' show before her, Ragyō was frozen with a thoroughly shocked (and slightly interested) expression on her face. Then, with no warning, the 'reverse harem' vanished in another burst of smoke, and Naruto came soaring out and struck her with his fist wreathed in not chakra, but Wind-type magic:

"Vetus-style: Gale Bind!"

Multiple Binds of Wind-type magic sprang up around Ragyō, anchoring her in place. It took her a few seconds to 'reboot', during which Naruto flash-stepped down and away, vanishing from her sight.

"It… It worked again…" Sakura said in a thoroughly disbelieving, almost-trembling voice. "All of Naruto's fancy and powerful techniques, all his tricks… and _that_ jutsu is the one with the best success ratio in combat…"

Nearby, Subaru was swinging Ryūko around, building momentum, and then with a shout she hurled the other girl up toward Ragyō with significant velocity. As she rapidly closed in, Ryūko drew her Scissor Blades, readying to strike. However, just before she reached her target, Ragyō finally broke free of the Binds, and then she just barely managed to move to the side, Ryūko's body shooting past her, missing by less than a meter. For everyone watching, everything seemed to be moving in slow motion: Ragyō slowly regaining her confident smirk, Ryūko moving out of range, having missed her target…

*WHOOSH*

(MUSIC: _Naruto Shippūden _– unreleased track – generally found on YouTube under "Minato vs. Tobi")

In a gold-hued flash and blur of motion, a hand appeared touching a spot on the back of Ryūko's left shoulder. The hand and arm instantly moved down Ryūko's left arm and was gripped by her own hand. Ragyō's eyes began to widen as she suddenly noticed a strange, keening whirring sound appear behind her, accompanied by a shining bluish-white light. Using Senketsu to stabilize herself, and harnessing her momentum, Ryūko swung herself and Naruto around 180 degrees, and the force from that spin was added to Naruto's _Fūton: Rasenshuriken _from his other hand as he let it fly.

There was no way Ragyō could have dodged in time. The Rasenshuriken slammed into her back, grinding and shredding into her _Shinra Kōketsu _as it propelled her forward several meters. With a thunderous boom it 'detonated', and Ragyō was now at the epicenter of a massive swirling sphere of energy.

"What just happened?" Sakura gasped, staring in shock.

Sasuke, his Sharingan active, widened his eyes as he saw the airborne duo. "On Matoi-san's left shoulder! There's a seal!"

"I see it too…" Kakashi murmured, shock evident in his tone. "It can't be… That's…"

"What's that technique he hit her with?" Mako asked.

"_Fūton: Rasenshuriken_" Subaru replied. "It's an extremely powerful Wind-type technique that Naruto-kun created. The target is trapped in a vortex of billions of microscopic blades of Wind chakra, piercing and slicing them on a cellular level. Tia can do it too, and so can a boy named Negi who didn't come with us for this mission."

"That sort of damage…" Satsuki murmured. "There's no way she'll be able to regenerate from that."

"But… How did Naruto-kun get himself up there so fast?" Subaru wondered. "I didn't even see him move…"

"It's a very rare technique" Kakashi said, still a little shocked. "Rather than moving in a burst of super speed, the user actually teleports. The caster can 'jump' to anything – or any_one_ – bearing a special seal of their own making… and they can place that seal on anything or anyone just by touching their palm to it."

"The pat on the back of Ryūko-san's shoulder…" Teana murmured in realization.

"The mark never goes away, even after the user's death" Kakashi continued. "With training to enhance the user's reaction time, they can use this technique to take out entire armies with enough strategically-placed seals. It is called…"

"The 'flash' of the Yellow Flash," Naruto spoke aloud as he and Ryūko made for a landing on a raised platform ahead, "the technique that made my father famous… That is…" A double landing in a dramatic pose, lit from behind by the sphere of swirling chakra. "_Hiraishin_!-!"

BIG RED LETTERS ON SCREEN, KILL-LA-KILL STYLE: **飛雷****神****!**

The sphere of destruction created by the Rasenshuriken dispelled with an explosive burst of light and concussive force, leaving a ravaged figure to plummet down from where it had been.

(MUSIC END)

Ragyō Kiryūin hit the spire platform with a thud. The countless tiny energy blades of the Rasenshuriken had nearly-completely shredded _Shinra Kōketsu_, leaving the once-majestic entity as a dulled, tattered remnant of its former glory, and the nature of the damage meant it couldn't regenerate. Ragyō's body hadn't fared much better, with multiple sizable holes and gouges carved out and a fair bit of internal damage. She coughed weakly, blood spattering out.

"N… Not… through… yet…" she gasped out, gritting her teeth as she slowly raised a trembling, torn-up hand, and snapped her fingers.

The damaged Primordial Life Fiber, having been 'huddled' in a corner of the courtyard regenerating what wounds it could, suddenly sprang to life, taking a semi-solid form. It coiled up around the spire until it reached the top, rearing up and then diving down onto – and _into_ – Ragyō's badly damaged body. Everyone watched in shock as the PLF merged with Ragyō, disappearing and becoming energy and power as it flowed into her, producing an evil red light around her.

Soon the last of the Primordial Life Fiber had vanished from sight, merged into its new host. The red light faded, and after a few seconds there was soft, wicked laughter.

"Nice try, Uzumaki, Ryūko…"

A white-&-red-clad figure rose to her feet. Ragyō's wounds had been repaired, as had been the damage to _Shinra Kōketsu_. What's more, she had undergone another transformation. The chest portion of the Kamui had become more form-fitting, like a corset, the hood had fallen back, and Ragyō's hair was now in the shape of a pair of horns. She grinned evilly, displaying a mouth full of unnaturally sharp fangs, and then she shot upwards at a speed well above that of sound, soaring upwards into space faster than the heroes could fire at her. Quickly reaching the REVOCS prime satellite, Ragyō made contact with it, and the four panels of it – stylized to resemble lips – glowed and shimmered with rainbow light, as did her outfit.

"_Shinra Kōketsu: Absolute Domination!-!_"

Sensing what was coming, Sasuke immediately formed a Stage-3 _Susanō _and used its arms to pull Satsuki and Mako – the only Life-Fiber-clad people close enough to grab in time – close and into the spectral construct. From the satellite, the signal raced out at relativistic speed, rapidly engulfing the entire planet. Around the world, every person wearing clothing that had any Life Fibers in it at all – which was to say nearly the entire global population, thanks to the REVOCS Corporation's monopoly – was suddenly ensnared in a crimson cocoon of Life Fibers. Every one of them rose high into the sky, and when they all reached the same altitude they extended outward, linking with each other to form a gigantic red 'net' of Life Fibers that covered the entire planet.

Down below, once the signal's wave had passed, the purple spectral summon vanished.

"W… What happened?" Mako looked around. "Where is everyone?"

"They're gone" Satsuki replied. "Ragyō's plan worked. You and I are the only ones not affected. Everyone else is up there…"

"Quick thinking, Sasuke" Kakashi said.

"Well," the youth replied, "it worked against _Mugen Tsukuyomi_…"

"Now what do we do?" Ryūko asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Naruto replied. "We go up there and kick her ass again!"

"How?" Teana asked. "She's stronger than ever!"

"DON'T BE SO PESSIMISTIC" Kurama's voice echoed out. "IF WE GO ALL-OUT, WE CAN DO THIS."

"RIGHT" Senketsu replied. "I DON'T PLAN ON JUST LAYING DOWN AND DYING."

"…And I'm not gonna do that either" Ryūko said, gathering her courage. "If we combine strengths, then perhaps…"

Kakashi nodded. "Naruto, Sasuke, Teana, Subaru, Ryūko, Satsuki… I believe it's time you six brought this to a close. But first… Satsuki-san, come here for a moment."

The tall girl complied, walking up to the Copy Ninja. Kakashi made a sequence of complicated hand-seals, and then reached out and laid his hand against her forehead, as his _Mangekyō Sharingan_ flashed. Satsuki gasped as she felt foreign power enter her, being stored, ready and waiting, within her body.

"I've studied the 'transcription seal' that the Uchiha Clan used," he told her, "and made an alteration to it. …You should now have a single-use _Susanō _at your disposal. …Don't worry; I haven't actually given up my ability to form it, though I _am_ now pretty much out of usable chakra because I did this."

After a couple seconds, Satsuki nodded in thanks, and then moved over to the other five.

"Wish us luck" Subaru told the others, as she, Teana, Satsuki, Ryūko, Sasuke, and Naruto took off, soaring upwards.

Higher and higher they went through the night sky. Soon, as the air thinned and the red Life-Fiber web became more visible, Naruto, Subaru, and Ryūko erupted in chakra as they ascended. At the same time, Sasuke, Teana, and Satsuki activated their own abilities, their chakra surging, growing, and taking form alongside the other three…

"Beautiful…" Ragyō murmured as she looked out at the Life-Fiber cocoon enshrouding the planet below her. "Truly, this is divine perfection… Huh?"

Suddenly, three massive shapes burst free from beneath the 'star-seed cocoon', taking position atop it and glaring up at her. Kurama, the 9-Tailed Fox, was clad in ornate purple-hued armor of solid-form chakra, plates of armor covering his tails, a plated sword of solidified violet chakra grasped in his right hand, and a helmet that revealed his glowing red eyes and fanged mouth, along with a gem of sorts on his forehead that held Sasuke Uchiha and a transparent image of Naruto Uzumaki. On his left, the 7-Tailed Wolf Fenris was clad in similar armor that was a reddish-orange color, a straight sword of bright orange chakra gripped in his left hand and spikes at the end of his armored tails, with the jewel in the center of his helmet carrying Teana and a spectral Subaru. Lastly, Senketsu the new 6-Tailed Fox was clad in samurai-esque green chakra armor, two blades wielded in his forelimbs, and with a helmet with a forehead gem containing Satsuki – who had the pinwheel-like pattern of Kakashi's _Mangekyō _superimposed over her normal eyes – and a transparent image of Ryūko. Finally, all three had large, armor-plated wings on their backs that seemed to be part of their armor.

(MUSIC: _Kill la Kill _OST Volume 2 – "_Gekiban Tokka-gata Hitotsuboshi Gokuseifuku_" {劇伴特化型1 極 服}) (0:30 onward)

"You…" Ragyō snarled. "You people just don't know when to quit! You've lost already! This world is now food for the Life Fibers!"

"Not yet it isn't" Sasuke replied. "I'm betting there's still plenty of time to break the people out before that becomes unavoidable."

"But first," Subaru said, "we have to go through you."

"Which is just fine with us!" Naruto chimed in.

"IT'S TIME TO BRING THIS TO A CONCLUSION" Fenris said.

"…I couldn't agree more" Ragyō replied.

She pointed her palm at them, and a sizable blast of crimson power raced out. However, Senketsu swung one of his blades, batting the blast away to soar out into deep space harmlessly. Ragyō failed to hold back a slight gasp.

"YOU CANNOT MATCH US NOW" Senketsu told her.

"For all the horrible things you have done," Satsuki said, "it is finally time for you to get what you deserve."

"For what you've done to me," Ryūko said, "to my sister, to our father, to my friends… I… _We_ are ending this _now_!"

(_DON'T LOSE YOUR WAAAAY!_)

The three _Susanō_-armored Tailed Beasts took flight, going different directions. From Ragyō's right, Fenris fired a half-dozen _Yasaka Magatama_ at her, the spiraling orange projectiles spiraling through space at significant speed. Ragyō fired red blasts of energy to intercept them, but then looked up and noticed Kurama overhead, wielding a giant bow with a chakra arrow ready to launch. He fired, and though Ragyō raised a strong defensive barrier, the chakra arrow penetrated partially through it and then detonated, the force of the blast harming her and blowing her back.

Senketsu attacked next, breathing out a barrage of proportionately-small (yet still quite huge) fireballs. Ragyō released a directed shockwave to blow out the flames… revealing the giant _Mangekyō_-shaped shuriken that had been hidden inside them. She took evasive maneuvers to avoid them, and one managed to cut a glancing blow that left a sizable gash in her and _Shinra Kōketsu_'s left side. Before she could recover from that, Fenris drew power up from a thunderstorm over the ocean below, the electrical energy passing through an uninhabited portion of the Life-Fiber planet-covering net and up to him. At the 7-Tailed Wolf's mental command, it coalesced into a large dragon made of lightning, and with a twitch of his tails the _Raiton: Kirin_ lanced out, striking Ragyō with the combined power of Tailed Beast chakra and dozens of lightning bolts' worth of electrical energy simultaneously.

While still smoldering and regenerating from the considerable damage, Ragyō formed an extra-large pair of ultra-dense Life Fiber blades and flew at Senketsu. However, Kurama intercepted her, the chakra-armored fox swinging his massive plated sword. She brought her blades up to block the strike, but after a few seconds the ultra-hardened Life Fiber constructs cracked and then shattered, and the continuing slash nearly-completely bifurcated Ragyō while sending her flying. Before she'd stopped, a tail strike from Fenris sent her flying in a different direction, right into a heavy punch from Senketsu that rocketed her up and away from the Earth.

Ragyō regained control of her 'flight', and cried out in fury as she began charging the biggest, brightest energy blast she could muster. In response, the three Tailed Beasts gathered together, holding their heads and tails high, and began forming a triple-strength extra-large Tailed Beast Ball. Ragyō let out a full-blown evil laugh as she managed to fire first, launching a bright red blast of energy down at the trio.

…And just before it could hit, the Triple _Bijūdama_ was fired. The much larger, much brighter blast of compressed energy struggled against the incoming blast for only a second before overcoming and consuming it, soaring up toward Ragyō with great speed. The woman barely had time to register an expression of shock before it struck her head-on. The resulting explosion was easily the size of a large city, matching the blast from a 10-Tails' attack in size and lighting up nearly the entirety of Earth's night side like a second sun. Ragyō Kiryūin didn't even have time to scream before she was completely obliterated.

As the flash faded, it revealed a red hazy energy spread out over the area. Recognizing the 'essence' of the now-destroyed Primordial Life Fiber, Ryūko & Senketsu extended their 'presence' and willed it to come close, coalescing into a glowing sphere of power held between Senketsu's hands/paws/claws. He looked over at the REVOCS satellite.

"What should we do?" Ryūko's transparent specter asked from her perch atop Senketsu's head. "All we need to do is use this energy to send a reverse signal through the satellite – destroy all the Life Fibers. But… Ragyō said these things came to Earth from somewhere else. That means there are most likely a lot more out there in the cosmos. If they ever come here, and all the Life Fibers have been destroyed, there'll be no _Kamui_ or _Goku _Uniforms for us to fight them with. We'll be defenseless… So, in that case… there's only one thing we can do!"

They flew over to the satellite, and the combined power of the PLF and Senketsu's chakra flowed into it, making it glow with power. At Ryūko's mental command, a massive pulse of rainbow energy surged out, engulfing the planet and the surrounding space. Satsuki gasped as her entire body tingled as it was altered inside and out, while the black sclera of Junketsu's eyespots turned white; below them, Mako was affected the same way.

Mako did not notice the unnaturally tall figure crouched over Nui Harime's cooling body across the courtyard…

The Life-Fiber net enshrouding the planet came apart, people being returned safely down to the surface where they'd been. When the light faded, Ryūko's specter was seen panting for breath.

"There…" she said. "Now we won't have to worry…"

"What… did you do?" Teana asked.

She grinned. "I'm living proof that Life Fibers and humans can coexist symbiotically if the former is 'configured' the right way. I just did that. The only way I could think of to make it so we could stand against the rest of the galaxy's Life Fibers if they ever come here… was to make everyone like me – hybrids. I stripped all of Earth's Life Fibers of their parasitic instinct and malevolence, and turned them all into symbiotes just like the ones woven through my body. Everyone is… like me now… Well, you four from the other Realms aren't because you aren't wearing any Life-Fiber clothing, but…"

"I'm not sure how this will go over with everyone," Satsuki said as she looked at herself, knowing that symbiotic Life Fibers were now a part of her body, "but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now… let's go home."

The three armored Tailed Beasts began their flight back down to Honnōji Academy, leaving the last of the Primordial Life Fiber's energy to dissipate into nothingness.

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

The sun rose on Honnōji Academy. While they had yet to see how the rest of the world was doing with it, the people here at least had come to accept their new states. Right now, Ryūko and Satsuki had joined Mako and her family for breakfast; the former was eating quite a bit to restock after all the energy she expended in last night's battles, and she could 'feel' Senketsu sleeping within her. Not too far away, the DDF quartet was standing together, looking out over the courtyard.

"So," Sasuke said, "what's next?"

"Well," Teana replied, "either today or tomorrow, Reisen-san is finally going to return to her Realm; she feels she's ready to 'settle the score' with that Yagokoro woman. Some of us will be coming along to spectate and make sure things don't get too out of hand. Also, we've received word that activity from Amon's agents has been sighted, so we'll be heading to investigate."

"Before we do that," Naruto said, "let's have breakfast. I'm _starving_…"

The others spoke or nodded in agreement, as the quartet moved down to join the jovial atmosphere of the people below.

**-**_**BOOK 29 END**_**-**

And there's the end of another Book. Next up will be an original storyline that will see the culmination of a few plot threads, and due to the multitude of characters and concepts and whatnot involved, and the fact you can only mark a Crossover fic with two source series even if it's composed of a half-dozen, I'll be putting it in the regular "Lyrical Nanoha" section.

Next time – Teana's Travels Book 30: Foes Old & New


End file.
